Pretty and Beautiful
by The Wandering Swordsman
Summary: Sanji and Zoro think of each as attractive people. fluff SanjixZoro.
1. Pretty

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

Zoro thought Sanji was pretty.

The blond was the new neighbor of the flat. He had bright golden hair that looked as soft as a newborn chick. His eyes were a dark blue; these were pretty too, but the man preferred to hide one of them with his long bangs. He was slender, skinny almost, but he looked like he visited the gym a few times a week. He was also a chef at a well-known restaurant in the middle of the city. Zoro had never been there before, but it had 4.5-4.8 stars in all restaurant websites. Since he was a cook, he took diligent care with his hands, so Zoro was surprised to see the various types of hand lotions Sanji carried around in his briefcase.

They first met when Sanji was moving in. Zoro couldn't believe how attractive the blond man was, so he immediately said 'you're pretty.' He received a painful kick on the side, and Zoro didn't forget to pay it back by several punches and tugs. He noticed that whenever he used the word 'pretty,' it pissed the blond off to a boiling point, so he learned to keep those compliments to himself. After meeting him in the worst situation possible, they became okay friends.

Sanji sometimes invited Zoro over, because 'you can't live off on only alcohol, you ape,' was his usual saying. His food—no wonder he worked in that restaurant-because it was magnificent. Every bite was precious and filled the mouth with more than just flavor. It boosted his happiness, and his stomach was always full and content. His dish contained equal portions of protein, vegetables and carbohydrates, so he also felt healthier than what he made on his own. He felt lucky to eat at Sanji's place when other people needed to place reservations several months in advance.

Not only Sanji was skilled in cooking, he was perfect in everything and he did it in a flawless manner. Zoro sometimes wondered if he was watching a performance or a stage play because whatever Sanji did looked pretty. The blond could be picking his nose, and still somehow find a cool way to do it.

Because he was pretty and perfect, he was popular as well. Zoro found Sanji to be around many friends. Even strangers in the bar or café strode up to Sanji and had a quick chat. This always happened while they went out to lunch and Zoro was used to it by now, but Sanji always gave an apologetic look before he left his seat, his food growing cold by the time he returned.

Counting back the times they hung out together, Zoro wondered why he was the first and only one Sanji invited him to his room, or go outside to have lunch and shop. There were many other people who were up to par with Sanji's great looks. Zoro was really short on it. Compared to him, Zoro looked shabby. His best outfit was a turtleneck sweater he bought at a retail store and jeans without any holes. He felt a bit sorry for having lunch with someone who radiated like sunshine, when his other friends could do just that. Also, Zoro didn't like to talk, so often their meals were eaten in silence. Zoro preferred this, but seeing Sanji joyfully talking and laughing with others, he felt bad. When he asked him why Sanji always chose him when they went out to eat and such, Sanji merely growled at him and said, 'you're so dumb, you know that?'

Zoro's relationship with Sanji was comfortable but at the same time hesitant.

The weather was getting cooler and Zoro often left his cold room to take a nap in the lounging area of the flat. The five story tall apartment was built strangely because the building was a tall cylinder with rooms along the circumference, so it had a wide, round lounging space on every floor. The landlord furnished this space—Zoro called it the Center —with comfortable couches and pillows that also formed in a circle. Since he was on the fifth floor, the flat had an enormous sunroof right above the Center. Adequate sunlight filtered down on the cream and light blue colored couches, so often Zoro visited to take a brief nap or work on his studies.

He found Sanji already occupying a seat and was working on something. He took a small table, and set a large tote bag with bundles of dark gray yarn. Sanji was knitting; his hands languidly weaved the two knitting needles into brilliant and identical patterns. When he made three to four rows, he set it down to pick up his cigarette waiting in the ashtray. He took a slow suck on it, held it, and then gently blew it out into a faint wisp. Zoro didn't know Sanji could knit, and his heart fluttered again. Man, he was so pretty.

"Hey," Sanji greeted, his eye looking somewhere across the room.

"Hey," Zoro answered, and then glanced at the unfinished project, "it's pretty."

"…ha?"

"I mean…the thing you're working on."

"Ah, oh yeah. Thanks."

"I didn't know you could knit."

"I do it sometimes when it gets cold."

"What are you making?"

"A sweater."

"Wow." Zoro shifted his arms around, tugging his own sleeves to calm himself, "Are you going to wear it?" He would look so good in it.

"No, I'm giving it away as a gift."

Zoro couldn't help but be disappointed, "…To whom?"

Sanji paused with his finger and lips still holding the cigarette. He made an irritated sigh and as he crushed it against the ashtray he said, "It's for you, stupid."

Zoro let out a small puff of breath because he forgot how to breathe.

Sanji's hands returned to the needles and resumed knitting, "You have to wait until Christmas though. I have things stored for Christmas Eve, so I need to finish this as soon as I can. Do you have any plans for Christmas Eve?"

Zoro managed to gathered his speech and replied with poor articulation, "N-Not yet."

"Not yet? You have something planned?"

"N-No, I don't know. But I don't think so."

"Then, leave a space open for dinner because I want to invite you over. Remember to give me something too." Sanji said quickly while focusing his attention on his knitting. Zoro nodded clumsily and returned back to recollect his thoughts, completely forgetting what he headed to the Center for.


	2. Beautiful

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

Sanji thought Zoro was beautiful.

The man was his new neighbor at a new apartment he moved in. He was purely a gift from Mother Earth for he had short, forest green hair and finely tanned skin. His eyes were mostly black but it often changed color depending on his mood. Zoro was still attending school to finish up on his master's and worked part-time at a dojo. The man was reserved and quiet, but his demeanor was powerful and alluring. Sanji loved admiring the man because he was a moving figure of a god painted by celebrated renaissance artists.

When Sanji met him for the first time, his heart struck with love. Zoro was absolutely beautiful, even if the man wore a yellowing white tank top and shorts. But when Zoro said, 'you're pretty' Sanji was shocked, so shocked he almost beat him to a pulp. Pretty? To hear the most attractive person call you 'pretty' felt like a downright insult. After giving several dark glares, the man finally took the hint that using 'pretty' was not a really good term to use.

Even though they started on the wrong foot, they somehow were good friends and neighbors, but that wasn't enough. Sanji wanted to learn more about Zoro. He wanted to know his favorite food, hobbies, and places to hang out. When he asked questions, Zoro would answer but mainly kept silent. The man wasn't hiding anything; he just didn't like to talk. He was always the one who killed the conversation, but there was something endearing about it—and plus, the moment of silence was Sanji's opportunity to ogle at Zoro.

Zoro's schedule was simple but as busy as his. In the mornings, Zoro left to his university to attend his courses. After that, he would return to drop his books and head back out to his part-time job until late afternoon. His dream is to get teaching credentials to teach young children martial arts. Over the weekends, Sanji found him sitting in the Center couch and reading several textbooks. During those times, Zoro absolutely gave up on clothes, so he wore an old dark blue hoodie and baggy pajama pants with the knot untied. He also wore thick-rimmed glasses because he said he could read better with them. He was a beautiful dork. Whenever Zoro let out a frustrated grown, throwing his head back from the books and brushed his hands through his hair, it was a lustful sight.

Zoro also knocked on Sanji's apartment door to help him be his sparring partner. Whenever he learned a new technique, he invited Sanji out into the Center, so he could practice how the body moved and raise his teaching skill by explaining it to Sanji. Whilst Zoro explained, he wasn't short on words or dropping the last word. He carefully advised the safe and correct way to strike or defend in easy steps, so Sanji could understand. His voice was soothing as well. Sanji got a thrill when they sparred, their bodies close and touching, and his hands gently wrapping around his waist or other innocent body parts.

Sanji invited him over to dinner and asked him out to cafes and restaurant and he had a firm grasp on what Zoro liked to eat. He catered his meals to fit Zoro's tastes and just as he predicted the man grinned the best when he was presented a dish with his favorite ingredients. He also, literally, dragged him to clothing stores because the man's outfit choice was hideous. It ruined his aesthetic! Sanji selected outfits that would glorify Zoro's natural beauty, but the other refused to receive clothes from him. 'I feel bad,' was his usual excuse and it pissed him off. Sanji just wanted to see beautiful Zoro in beautiful clothes, what was wrong with that?

The man seemed to have some problem with hanging out with him. He looked unsure of himself whenever Sanji asked him over. Zoro always stepped back when Sanji's close friend came by his apartment or interrupt them while in the middle of eating. But whenever Zoro stepped backwards, Sanji walked forward and seized the man by the arm because they were everywhere. They. Random people in the street, in restaurants, bars, whose eyes locked onto Zoro in an unnerving way. They were just as interested in him because he was so beautiful. It was a miracle that Zoro was single, but if there was no immediate action, someone was going to claim him.

Sanji left the craft store with several bundles of gray yarn. He thought of choosing Zoro's favorite color, but he felt like gray suited him better. Instead of knitting in his room, he decided to work on it in the Center because the sun was out and the light was perfect for knitting. Plus, the couches were comfortable too. He sat at the couch corner and pulled up a small table to set the tote bag and an ashtray. He lit a cigarette and smoked for a few seconds, and then began on his project. He didn't physically measure Zoro, but he had vague idea on his size (by brushing his hands around Zoro's waist while they were sparring or maneuvering in the kitchen).

As he worked on the base structure, he saw Zoro approaching the Center. He was probably going to nap here because the temperature was perfect of taking naps. The man stopped before him and stared at the tote bag for a few minutes. He stood there silently, and since it grew unbearable, Sanji broke the silence.

"Hey."

"Hey," Zoro paused and then looked toward him, "It's pretty."

"…ha?" A rush of heat crawled up to his face. Not again. Was 'pretty' the only compliment he had?

"I mean…the thing you're working on."

"Ah, oh yeah. Thanks." Sanji sighed, grateful that Zoro wasn't talking about him again.

"I didn't know you could knit."

"I do it sometimes when it's cold."

"What are you making?"

"A sweater."

"Wow," He glanced up and saw that Zoro's eyes were glazed over from amazement. Shit, he was really impressed with his knitting. Now his face was hot from blushing. "Are you going to wear it?"

Sanji cleared his throat, "No, I'm giving it away as a gift."

"…to whom?"

Sanji let out a sigh. Wasn't it obvious by now? Zoro had a six sense; he could sense something bad was going to happen and most of the time it was true. Yet, he could not sense how much Sanji liked him, even after all of those not-so-subtle hints. He stubbed his cigarette, his words sounding a little sour, "It's for you, stupid."

There was a gasp, and Sanji felt a little better now. Zoro's face was turning red too. He ran his fingers along the needles, counting the little knots before continuing, "You have to wait until Christmas though. I have things stored for Christmas Eve, so I need to finish this as soon as I can. Do you have any plans for Christmas Eve?"

There was a mumble and a shifting of legs, "N-Not yet."

Sanji raised an eyebrow. "Not yet? You have something planned?" Oh hell no. He planned an extravagant Christmas Eve party for the both of them with a hearty ham dinner with soup and potatoes, and finishing it off with his famous Christmas chocolate cake.

"N-No, I don't know. I don't think so."

Sanji sighed of relief, "Then, leave a space for dinner because I want to invite you over. Remember to give me something too." He waited for a response, but all Zoro did was give a short nod and wobble back to his room. When Zoro closed the door behind him, he laid the sweater down to take another cigarette break to calm his beating heart.

On Christmas Eve, when he handed the knitted sweater he was going to confess his love to Zoro. He hoped Zoro would finally acknowledge his feelings.


End file.
